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Cta 3D CV 09845 D 2021jun30 Ass
Cta 3D CV 09845 D 2021jun30 Ass
Third Division
-versus- Members:
UY, Chairperson,
RINGPIS-LIBAN, and
MODESTO-SAN PEDRO,]]..
COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL
REVENUE , REGIONAL DIRECTOR
GLEN A. GERALDINO & REVENUE
DISTRICT OFFICER MAHINARDO Promulgated:
G. MAILIG, .~'ITflr - · - - ~, .
Respondents. ~U.UI1 3 0-20lf/
x---------------------------------------------------------------------3-~1-~-r:~-~----x
DECISION
RINGPIS-LIBAN, J.
On June 4, 2018, petitioner iScale Solutions, Inc. flied a Petition for Review
praying that the Court:
3. Declare as null and void the issuance of the 48-Hour Notice and
Five (5)-Day VAT Compliance Notice; and
1 Statement of the Case, Pre-Trial O rder dated January 23, 2019, Docket - Vol. 1, p. 342.
Page 2 of22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
THE PARTIES
A tax audit and investigation for taxable year 2016 against petitioner for
the year 2016 covering all internal revenue taxes was conducted by Revenue
Officer (RO) Melissa Baes and Group Supervisor (GS) Rebecca Pandapatan,
pursuant to Letter of Authority (LOA) SN: eLA201500049326 dated June 28,
2017. 7
During the conduct of tax audit and investigation against petitioner for
the year 2016 covering all internal revenue taxes, RO Baes and GS Pandapata;;v
2 Par. 8, Summary of Admitted l'acts, Joint Stipuhtion of Facts and Issues QSFI), Docket - Vol. 1, p. 236; Exhibit "P-6",
Docket~ Vol. 1, p. 29.
3 Par. 19, Summary of Admitted Facts, JSFI, Docket- VoL 1, p. 238.
4 Exhibit "P-7", Docket- Vol. 1, p. 474; Exhibit "P-15-G".
; Par. 9, Summary of Admitted Facts,JSFI, Docket- Vol. 1, p. 236.
6 Par. 10, Summary of Admitted Facts,JSFI, Docket- VoL 1, p. 236.
7 Pars. 1, 2, and 11, Summary of Admitted Facts,JSFI, Docket- VoL 1, pp. 234 to 236; Exhibit "P-8", Docket- Vol. 1, p.
475; Exhibit "R·I", Docket- Vol. 2, p. 567.
Page 3 of22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
discovered that petitioner failed to issue official receipts. 8 With the regular tax
audit conducted against petitioner, however, only an unofficial Preliminary
5 ummary of Tax Deficiencies was issued against petitioner. 9 Furthermore, there
was no Mission Order issued for the conduct of Oplan K.andado against
petitioner. 10
Through its letter dated February 22, 2018, petitioner admitted its
violation of Sections 113 and 237 of the NIRC of 1997, as amended, and
informed the Bureau that it had corrected its VAT Returns to reflect the proper
discrepancy in revenue. 13 Attached to petitioner's letter and also submitted
therewith is a Schedule ofORs issuedfor 2016. 14
In reply to the said BIR letter, petitioner, via the letter dated March 19,
2018, explained that it misunderstood the 48 Hour Notice dated February 20,
2018, believing that the compliance with the notice would be the amendment
of its VAT Returns for the period which it had done s ?
15 Par. 14, Summary of Admitted Facts,JSFI, Docket- Vol. 1, p. 237; Exhibit "P-11", Docket- Vol. 1, pp. 480 to 481;
Exhibit "R-10", Docket- Vol. 2, pp. 576 to 577.
16 Id
17 Par. 15, Summary of Admitted Facts,JSFI, Docket- Vol. 1, p. 237; Exhibit "P-12", Docket- Vol. 1, p. 482.
Page 4 of22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
Nonetheless, the BIR's response thereto came in the form of the Five (5)-
Dqy VAT Compliance Notice dated March 18, 2018, which was received by
petitioner on April 2, 2018. 18
The BIR replied through its letter dated April 18, 2018 signed by
respondent RDO Mailig which was received by petitioner on May 3, 2018. The
said letter, in gist, denied the arguments presented in petitioner's letter dated
April 5, 2018, reiterating the demand to pay the deficiency VAT, and warning
with the issuance of a Closure Order. 21 Still, no detail was ever shown as to
how the said deficiency arose or computed. 22
On June 4, 2018, petitioner flied this Petition for Review with Petition for Writ
of Preliminary Prohibitory If!iunction. 24 This case was originally raffled to the
Court's First Division.
Thereafter, the Court set and held a hearing for the Petition for Writ of
Preliminary Prohibitory Injunction on June 21, 2018, which was treated as a Motion
for Suspension of Collection ofTaxes. 25 At the said hearing, petitioner: (1) presented
Ms. Lunar Rosario,26 petitioner's Financial Controller, and (2) Mr. Ibarra F.
Miranda/7 Paralegal of CMB/P Law, in support of the said Motion; and
formally offered Exhibits "P-1" and "P-2", to which respondents did n~
18 Pars. 7 and 16, Summary of Admitted Facts,JSFI, Docket- VoL 1, pp. 235 and 237, respectively; Exhibit "P-5", Docket
-Vol. 1, p. 472.
19 Par. 17, Summary of Admitted Facts,JSFI, Docket- VoL 1, p. 238; Exhibit "P-13", Docket- Vol 1, pp. 483 to 484;
- Vol. 1, pp. 469 to 470; Exhibit "R-14", Docket - Vol. 2, pp. 583 to 584.
zz Id
23 Par. 3, Summary of Admitted Facts,JSFI, Docket- Vol. 1, p. 235.
24 Docket- Vol. 1, pp. 10 to 24.
25 Notice of Hearing dated June 19, 2018, Docket- Vol. 1, p. 52; Minutes of the hearing held on, and Order dated, June 21,
interpose any objection thereto. In the same hearing, the Court admitted the
said Exhibits.
On August 20, 2018, petitioner subsequendy flled its Omnibus Motion for:
1) Extension of Time to Comp!J with the Submission of a Surety Bond 2) Reduction of the
Amount to be Co[n]vered by a Bond. 32 Thereafter, on September 10, 2018,
petitioner also filed its Motion for Additional Extension of Time to Comp!J with the
Submission of Surety Bond,33 which the Court granted in the interest of justice, via
the Order dated September 17, 2018. 34
Pursuant to the Court's Order dated September 27, 2018, the instant
case was transferred to this Court's Third Division. 37
The pre-trial conference of this case was set and held on October 16,
38
2018. Prior thereto, Petitioner's Pre-Trial Bn'ej was submitted on October 3,
39
2018; while Respondent's Pre-Trial Brief was flied on October 12,2018. 40
Subsequendy, the parties submitted their Joint Stipulation of Facts and Issues
(fSFI) on November 15, 2018. 42 The said JSFI was admitted and approved by
the Court in the Resolution dated December 6, 2018,43 deeming the
termination of the Pre-Trial. Subsequendy, the Court issued the Pre-Trial
Order dated January 23, 2019. 44
In the Resolution dated January 24, 2019, 45 the Court, inter alia, (1) set
the preliminary hearing to determine whether the posting of a cash bond or
surety bond provided under Section 11 of Republic Act (RA) No. 1125, as
amended by RA Nos. 9282 and 9503, can be reduced to restrain the collection
of deficiency VAT against petitioner; and (2) held in abeyance the resolution of
petitioner's Motion for Reduction of the Amount to be Covered by a Bond.
In the Resolution dated May 14, 2019,48 petitioner's Motion for Reduction of
the Amount to be Covered by a Bond was denied by the Court for lack of merit.
Anent the main case, petitioner also presented its documentary and
testimonial evidence. Relative thereto, petitioner offered the testimonies of the
following individuals, namely: (1) Mr. Lunar Rosario, 49 petitioner's Financial
Controller; (2) Mr. Neil U. Sison, 50 the Court's duly commissioned Independent
Certified Public Accountant (ICPA); 51 and (3) Mr. Efren Lumapag, Jr., 52
Business Manager of the Bank of the Philippine Islands.
In the interim, the Court received the Report of the ICPA on March 14,
53
2019.
27, 2019 received ry Respondent on August 28, 2019) on September 12, 2019. 55 In
the Resolution dated October 9, 2019, 56 petitioner's Exhibits were admitted.
1) Exhibits "R-2-A", "R-3", and "R-4", for not being found in the
records; and
2) Exhibits "R-12" and "R-12-A" for failure of the same to correspond
with the documents actually marked.
The parties stipulated the following issues for this Court's resolution, to
wit:
Petitioner's arguments:
Respondents' counter-arguments:
Respondents aver that this Court has no jurisdiction over this case for
lack of cause of action; that petitioner failed to exhaust administrative remedy;
that the recommendation for Oplan Kandado has factual and legal bases; that the
48-Hour Notice and Five (5)-Dqy VAT Compliance Notice are valid; that covert
surveillance is not necessary in this case; and that petitioner is liable for
deficiency VAT for failure to issue official receipts and invoices.
This is not the first case where the CTA validly ruled on
issues that did not relate direcdy to a disputed assessment or a
claim for refund. In Pantqja v. David,68 we upheld the jurisdiction
of the CTA to act on a petition to invalidate and annul the
distraint orders of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Also,
in Commissioner rj Internal Revenue v. Court rj Appeals,69 the decision
of the CTA declaring several waivers executed by the taxpayer as
null and void, thus invalidating the assessments issued by the BIR,
was upheld by this Court." (Emphasis supplied)
In this case, it is apparent that the issuance of the subject 48-Hour Notice
and 5-dC!J VAT Compliance Notice, arose out of respondents' implementation of
Sections 113, 237, and 114 of the NIRC of 1997, as amended. As such, this
Court has jurisdiction over the said issuances.
;"/
A. Surveillance Activities
XXX XXX XXX
3. Confrontational Requirements
3.1. Consistent with the requirements of due
process, the report of the handling Revenue Officer shall
be concurred in by the Head of the investigating office.
The findings of the investigating office shall be reviewed by
a Review Board composed of the following:
The Review Boards must act on reports within five (5) days
from receipt thereof. The Review Board shall convene,
upon the initiative of the chairperson, whenever necessary.
70Amendment and Consolidation of the Guidelines in the Conduct of Surveillance and Stock-Taking Activities, and the
Implementation of the Administrative Sanction of Suspension and Temporary Closure of Business.
Page 11 of 22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
The BIR Letter dated April 18, 2018 is unequivocal. The failure of the
taxpayer to pay will lead to the issuance of a Closure Order. To quote the lett~
'
Page 13 of 22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
Petitioner should not have to wait for the issuance of a Closure Order
before elevating the case to this Court. As previously stated, since the "Oplan
Kandado" is an implementation of Sections 113, 237 and 114 of the NIRC of
1997, as amended, this Court has jurisdiction over the same.
The BIR's power to collect taxes must yield to the fundamental rule that
no person shall be deprived of his/her property without due process of law.
The rule is that taxes must be collected reasonably and in accordance
with the prescribed procedure. 77
A. Surveillance Activities
75 Commis!ioner of Internal &venue vs. BASF Coating + Inks Phils., Inc., G.R. No. 198677, November 26, 2014.
76 Commissioner of Internal Revenue vs. United Salvage and Towage (Phils.), Inc., G.R. No. 197515,July 2, 2014.
77 Commissioner of Internal Revenue vs. Pilipinas S heU Petroleum Corporation, etseq., G.R. Nos. 197945 and 204119-20, July 9, 2018.
78 Chevron Philippines, Inc. vs. Bases Conversion and Development Authority, ef al, G.R. No. 173863, September 15, 2010.
79 Article 7, Civil Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 386).
Page 15 of22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
2. Conduct of Surveillance
3. Confrontational Requirement/v'
Page 16 of22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
6. "Q: You mean to say that there were two tax audits
conducted by the BIR against your company for the same
year?
A: For the regular audit covering all taxes for the year 2016,
a Letter of Authority was issued by RDO No. 47-East
Makati, together with a checklist of documents we have to
submit to the examining revenue officers. But for the
"Oplan Kandado," which followed the regular audit, there
was no authorization letter at all.
Also, this Court finds that the 48-Hour Notice and 5-dt!J VAT Compliance
Notice have no factual bases. The 48-Hour Noticl2 states as follows:
February 9, 2018
THE PRESIDENT
ISCALE SOLUTIONS, INC.
TIN NO: 008-106-923-00000
7F Salustiana D. Ty Tower
Paseo de Roxas, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Sir/Madam:
[x] (B) Comply with the following requirements as a VAT -registered person:
[X] (1) Issue sales invoices or receipts pursuant to Section 113 and
237 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as
amended.
] (2) Pay your Value- Added Tax pursuant to Section 114 of the
National Internal revenue Code of 1997, as amended.
[X] (3) Reflect your correct taxable sales/receipts for the Taxable
Period January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016.
[ ] (4) Understatement of taxable sales or receipts by thirty percent
(30%) or more of the correct taxable sales or receipts for the
taxable quarter.
In order to give you the opportunity to refute the above findings, you are hereby
given a period of 48 hours from receipt hereof to explain your side under oath
regarding the abovementioned findings. Failure on your part to do will constrain the
Office to recommend the imposition of administrative sanctions against you thru
suspension of business operations and temporary closure of your business
establishment pursuant to Section 115 of the National Internal Revenue Code as
implemented by revenue Memorandum Order No. 3-2009 dated January 15, 2009,
otherwise known as "OPLAN KANDADO", and/or filing of criminal action for
your aforesaid violations of the provisions of the Tax Code, WITHOUT
FURTHER NOTICE.
Very truly yours,
Sir/Madam:
The Revenue District Office No, 47-East Makati where your Office is located
reported that you have failed to:
Notice is therefore hereby given, and demand made upon you, to rectify within
five (5) days from receipt hereof the above-stated violations committed, by
The said Notices did not state the details of the findings of the
investigating officers and the computation and legal bases of the alleged
deficiency VAT deficiency.
84 Commissioner of Internal Revenue vs. Fitness By Design, Inc., G.R. No. 215957, November 9, 2016.
Page 21 of22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
SO ORDERED.
~. ~ _A'(___
MA. BELEN M. RINGPIS-LIBAN
As so ciate Justice
WE CONCUR:
E~P.UY
Associate Justice
~pinion)
MARlAR . ESTO-SAN PEDRO
Associate Justice
ATTESTATION
ERL~P.UY
Associate Justice
Chairperson
Page 22 of22
DECISION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
CERTIFICATION
Presiding Justice
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Court of Tax Appeals
QUEZON CITY
Third Division
Members:
-versus-
UY, Chairperson,
RINGPIS-LIBAN, and
COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL MODESTO-SAN PEDRO, JJ.
REVENUE, REGIONAL
DIRECTOR GLEN A. GERALDINO
& REVENUE DISTRICT OFFICER Promulgated:
MAHINARDO G. MAILIG, r.'UN O / 3 2021 ·
Respondents. IIJ_
X -----------------------------------------------------------1:1-~-f-·-~---:-~------------ X
CONCURRING OPINION
I concur with the ponencia granting jurisdiction over the instant Petition
for Review and declaring null and void respondents' 48-Hour Notice dated 9
February 2018 and 5-day VAT Compliance Notice dated 18 March 2018
issued against petitioner.
Here, respondents argue that this Court has no jurisdiction over the
above-captioned case for petitioner's alleged failure to exhaust all
administrative remedies available to it.
They explain that the basis of the Petition for Review which is the letter
issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue ("BIR"), dated 18 April 2018
(hereinafter referred to as the "Response Letter"), does not constitute the final
Decision appealable to the Court of Tax Appeals ("CT A") under Section
7(a)(l) of Republic Act ("RA'? No. 1125, as amended by RA No. 9282. 1
1
An Act Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Court of Tax Appeals ("CTA"). Elevating its Rank to the Level/)
of a Collegiate Court with Special Jurisdiction and Enlarging its Membership. Amending for the Purpose.,..,.
CONCIJRRING OPINION
CT A CASE NO. 9845
Page 2 of 6
They posit that the appealable decision in Oplan Kandado cases is the Closure
Order which is yet to be issued by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue
("CIR").
"We laid down the rule that the Commissioner of Internal Revenue
should always indicate to the taxpayer in clear and unequivocal language
what constitutes his final determination of the disputed assessment, thus:
"The use of the word "shall" in Section 228 of the NIRC and in RR No.
12-99 indicates that the requirement of informing the taxpayer of the legal
and factual bases of the assessment and the decision made against him is
mandatory. The requirement of providing the taxpayer with written notice
of the factual and legal bases applies both to the FLO/FAN and the FDDA.
Section 228 of the NIRC should not be read restrictively as to limit the
written notice only to the assessment itself. As implemented by RR No. 12-
99, the written notice requirement for both the FLD and the FAN is in ~
4
Emphasis Supplied.
5 Amending Certain Sections of Revenue Regulations No. 12-99 Relative to the Due Process Requirement
in the Issuance of a Deficiency Tax Assessment, 28 November 2013.
6 Jd
7
G.R. Nos. 215534 & 215557, 18 April2016.
CONCURRING OPINION
CT A CASE NO. 9845
Page4of6
In a decision of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) (Case No. 8134 dated
August 22, 2012), wherein the issue is the non-issuance of VAT official
receipts, it was pertinently stated by the said ruling that, "without proper VAT
official receipts issued to its clients, petitioner cannot claim such sales as zero-
rated VAT not subject to output tax.". This is precisely the basis for the denial
of the petitioner-taxpayer on its claim for VAT refund in the aforesaid
decision. Thus, if the taxpayer was denied of VAT refund due to its failure to
substantiate its zero-rated sales with VAT official receipts or invoices, it is
tantamount that the sales are considered vatable.
In relation thereto, the Supreme Court has consistently held that failure
to print the word "zero-rated" in its claim for VAT refund or credit of input
VAT on zero-rated sales (Northern Mindanao Power Corporation vs. CIR,
G.R. No. 185115 dated February 18, 2015) results to denial of said refund.
Please also justify the submitted copies of the issued official receipts to
non-resident customers, where it was noted, marked and established by the
concerned Revenue Officers, that said official receipts has not yet been issued O_
during the conduct of the audit. Submission of the copies of said official r
8
Emphasis Supplied.
CONCIJRRING OPINION
CTA CASE NO. 9845
Page 5 of6
Meanwhile, the prescribed temp late of a Closure Order under RMO No.
3-2009 is here quoted:
"CLOSURE ORDER
A comparison of the two issuances underscores the point that the final
Decision appealable to the CT A, as contemplated in the foregoing discussions,
is not the Closure Order but the Response Letter.
"The execution of the Closure Order shall consist in the physical closing
of the doors or other means of ingress of the establishment, and the sealing
thereof, with the appropriate security devices (padlocks, etc.) and the BIR's
official seal."
Lastly, the issue on jurisdiction has already been addressed by the Court
En Bane in Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Elric Auxiliary Services
Corp./Sacred Heart Gas Station 9 where it treated the Response Letter as the
BIR's final Decision appealable to the CTA. While I admit that CTA
Decisions are not binding precedents as compared to Supreme Court
Decisions, it cannot be denied that these Decisions are persuasive in disposing
of tax cases and, therefore, are worthy of consideration.
MARIARO
'stice
9
C.T.A. EB Case No. 1174 (C.T.A. Case No. 8315), 3 March 2016.